


A Worthy Fight

by narutomaki



Category: Naruto
Genre: M/M, Mutual Pining, dad who refuses to be called a dad kakashi, shogi used as therapy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-28
Updated: 2020-03-28
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:15:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23359135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/narutomaki/pseuds/narutomaki
Summary: Shikaku uses shogi is fucked EMDR therapy and I think that's pretty se*y of him.Or.Kakashi's healing and Shikaku is endlessly patient.~Shikaku cut his retreat off, "Do you play?""What?" His feet turned back, already stepping closer; soundlessly."Shogi. Do you play?"
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Nara Shikaku
Comments: 4
Kudos: 56





	A Worthy Fight

Kakashi's sandals scuffed the ground to announce himself in lieu of a greeting and Shikaku looked up with a tight smile, squinting at his backlit figure in the afternoon sun. 

"Naruto told me to come get Shikamaru." He said, voice neutral and somehow wholly unimpressed at the same time. Shoulders slouched forward into himself, hands tucked away into his pockets. Acting casual as his body hummed with tension.

"Shikamaru!" Shikaku called, knowing his son was lazing about just inside the room about to doze off again, not looking away from their messenger as his 10 year old shuffled and fell his half asleep way to the door. "Narutos waiting for you."

"Seriously? I told him to be late…" The tired voice complained through the crack he had opened, head slumped against the wall beside the door.

"That's why he sent me to get you. It took an hour after he asked me just to leave." Kakashi said, looking at the sliver of Shikamaru that the door revealed. Shikaku snorted softly going back to setting up the shogi board as his son let out the heaviest sigh any 10 year old could before going to get properly dressed, the sliding door snapping shut forcefully in his tiny ire.

Kakashi shifted in Shikaku's periphery, jaw moving over unspoken words before he half turned to leave.

Shikaku cut his retreat off, "Do you play?" 

"What?" His feet turned back, already stepping closer; soundlessly.

"Shogi. Do you play?" Shikaku asked, ignoring the sliding door slamming back open in favor of forcing his son into a one armed hug before shooing him off to greet the violently orange blob in the distance.

"Occasionally." Kakashi finally replied, sliding off his sandals before stepping up and kneeling down across from Shikaku, who grinned at him before silently making the first move.

Kakashi responded almost instantly; a soft wuff of laughter forcing its way out of Shikaku before he leaned forward, steepling his fingers, and pretending to focus on the board as he watched the way Kakashi shifted- and watched him.

The wooden piece clacked as he made his move, his own jaw shifting as Kakashi settled in further, drawing one knee up and leaning on it to think. Shikaku found it hard to be convinced the other man hadn't noticed him staring by now, but politely retaliated in kind, taking Kakashi's pawn and raising his eyebrows in challenge. 

Words unspoken swam back and forth between and with each move, soft hums and hahs and breathy laughs, it was driving him mad.

The game drew out longer than Shikaku had intended, but at some point Kakashi had actually started paying attention to the board. Which had ruined his strategy of relying on Kakashi being reactive instead of proactive, like he usually would be.

"How's being a live in mentor treating you?" Shikaku asked as he reset the board, politely ignoring the word everyone else whispered when the former ANBU had his back turned; as if Kakashi would see himself as a father in anything less than 3 years- which was when Shikaku had it predicted Naruto would call him dad, barring life or death circumstances, that is.  


"The kid's insane." Shikaku grinned at the bitten off sentence.

"But?"

A long pause, "It's relieving. The teacher says he's glad Naruto isn't being constantly ignored anymore, says it's setting him up better for higher training." Kakashi said, speaking half into his knee. 

"You don't like knowing how bad it has been for him."

"I should have-"

"Should've doesn't matter now." The sound of Kakashi's teeth grinding was audible and Shikaku pressed. "The  _ now _ matters now, and Naruto is happy. Is he not?"

"Disgustingly so…"

"Hm.” Shikaku finalized. ”Your move." Kakashi obliged him.

"I… don't like thinking about how much sooner I could have stepped in." Click.

"Does he know you could have?" Clack.

"We don't… we don't talk much about how he feels. So, no." Click.

"Then what does it matter." Clack.

"I want him to-" Silence. Shikaku's lips pulled up softly and he stopped hiding his stare. Kakashi was hugging his knee tight, his other hand clenched into his thigh and his eye closed tight. Breathing deep, and sustained, and desperate. "I want him to hate me, but he  _ doesn't _ . I don't think he _ can _ ."

"He comes up a lot when Choji's going around with them. It's how he hides his hurt." Shikaku watched Kakashi curl up tighter, breath heaving for one short moment, before he uncurled and glared; his body held taught and still like weapon.

"Stop." Anger; dense and focused.

"Stop what?"

"Whatever this is.” The younger man pulled tighter and stiller, where any other may have gestured. “Stop." 

Shikaku was quiet, head tilted minutely. He raised one brow. 

"I don't-” Kakashi strained, energy spiraling and pulling. ”Stop. Just… stop." Kakashi jerked to his feet, shoving them back into his sandals in one swift motion as the coiled energy shattered and spread, his breath stuttering and hands clenched. 

Shikaku stood, and put a hand on his tense shoulder; meeting the fist that came around beside his cheek and holding it in his palm, squeezing it in threat and staring into Kakashi's eye until the man crumbled. They went down together. 

Fingers rubbing in small tight circles between Kakashi's shaking shoulder blades, Shikaku sighed.

"Kakashi you're doing the right thing now.” A hollow sob. “You are. Naruto is dealing with it how he deals with everything; but he cares, he appreciates it. It's more than even the teacher does for him, more than the Hokage." Shikaku's voice was calm, steady and deep as Kakashi curled against him; vulnerable and hurting. "We've all made mistakes, some longer lasting than others. But we're fixing them. Slowly but… we are. You are. It doesn't have to be perfect for it to have meaning."

Kakashi whined low against his chest and Shikaku moved back slowly until they were sitting side by side on the step, Kakashi leaning heavily against him as he gathered himself, one palm pressed into his face.

"I… thank you." 

"It's no problem."

Silence. A touch ghosted over his hand and Shikaku turned it over slowly, threading their fingers together. 

"You're smarter than I give you credit for."

Shikaku snorted deep in his throat, gripping Kakashi's hand tighter for a moment. "You're just easy to read."

"Am not."

"Are so."

"Fuck you."

"Language, Hatake." The barrel laugh shocked him into laughing as well, his grin turning to a warm smile as Kakashi let out a long, slow, easy breath. Their hands held each other for a moment more before Kakashi tugged slightly, and Shikaku let go.

"I… thank you." He paused. "I'm… not sure when I'll be ready to play again." Letting the meaning press itself warm against the space between them

"Don't worry." Shikaku said, ghosting his fingers against Kakashi's neck as he stood and went to reset the board. "I can wait."

**Author's Note:**

> Shikamaru @ Kakashi: come over more I get to slam the doors when you're sulking around.  
> Any way my brain literally would not let me sleep until I wrote this and now it's only taken 2 days to edit, this is fine. For/inspired by pridekakashi on tumblr.


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